Lincolnshire parents sent whooping cough warning letters

Known as pertussis or "100-day cough", the infection can be particularly serious for babies and infants

Thousands of parents in Lincolnshire have been warned about a rise in whooping cough among young children.

A letter from the UK Health Security Agency was sent to families, by schools, listing symptoms and advice.

A health expert described the rise as “worrying but expected” after a lack of social mixing during the coronavirus pandemic.

It follows a national rise in cases of the bacterial infection.

Dr Ben Rush said cases of whooping cough were expected to spike every three to five years

Health officials said they had recently seen lower uptake of the vaccine.

Dr Ben Rush, from the UK Health Security Agency in the East Midlands, said the vaccine was vital as the infection “can be dangerous” to younger children.

“We were expecting a spike in cases, particularly after the reduced social mixing from the pandemic,” he said.

“But it is a bigger spike than many of us were expecting.”

• Check if your child has whooping cough

The first signs of whooping cough are similar to a cold, with a runny nose and sore throat.

But after about a week, the infection can develop into coughing bouts that last a few minutes and are typically worse at night.

Young babies may also make a distinctive "whoop" or have difficulty breathing after a bout of coughing.

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